


love it (if we made it)

by starsshines



Category: Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Black Character(s), Eventual Smut, F/M, First Meetings, Karate Kid AU sort of I guess, Movie: The Karate Kid (1984), My First Work in This Fandom, POV First Person, Summer Love, Summer Romance, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Teenagers, honestly don't even know if im writing him right but whatever it's my story, it's been a while so i've written so cut me some slack, johnny lawrence - Freeform, some pre-karate kid, we get soft johnny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:41:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27678242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsshines/pseuds/starsshines
Summary: In which a troubled girl falls for a troubled boy and learns a few things about herself along the way.
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Ali Mills, Daniel LaRusso/Original Female Character(s), Johnny Lawrence/Original Female Character of Color, Johnny Lawrence/Original Female Character(s), Johnny Lawrence/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 27





	1. the beginning

**July 1984**

Pristine homes and well-kept landscaping pretty much lined the block. One thing this place had going for it was that you could tell the difference between the rich and the poor. Just a stone’s throw away was Reseda, less desirable but also infinitely more interesting than what was in store in Encino. 

“Just what we needed. A fresh start.” Dad says happily, pulling up the driveway next to my car. To what is now going to be our new home. Guess it was an improvement, but nothing compared to our old house. I’d miss looking out the window and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, hearing the seagulls in the distance and certainly no rules from a homeowner’s association. 

Oh, there were rules here, many rules, about what you could do and could not do, the days before we arrived were filled with leafing through a considerably thick pamphlet Dad had received after closing on the house here. I certainly learned a few things from it but also learned I absolutely hated it. 

“I envisioned a fresh start involving leaving the state, possibly even the country, Dad.”

“Oh, come on, Encino Hills will be great for you and your sister, better than San Francisco, right? No more steep streets and more beaches!”

San Francisco had its charms. Artists and musicians flourished in the city and they led their bohemian lifestyles in the warehouses of SoMa and the Victorians of the Mission District and the Haight. All my friends dabbled in different things and I was just happy to be along for the experience. 

But now, that was gone. Gone were the summer days we would’ve spent flocking to the sprawling, window-filled outlet in Dogpatch to buy the cheerful, colorful clothing at a discount (even though we all knew we could have afforded more expensive pieces). 

“Wow, I’m practically _jumping_ for joy,” The sarcasm wasn’t lost on Dad as I gave him a closed-lipped smile. A particular cheery mood wasn’t exactly in my ability to display right now. Meanwhile Lily is ecstatic, she’s mostly at the age where moving doesn’t upend her whole social life. 

New place meant new rules of engagement, new school and starting all over again, in general. Well, at least the last bit of summer vacation could be enjoyed, somewhat. It was safe to say pretty much any teenager on the planet dreaded the first day of school. I, of course, still am one of those said teenagers. 

But, again, I really can’t think too much about that. The movers dropped off the boxes hours ago, scattering them all over the place and we needed to unpack all of them. 

“Would it have killed them to wipe some of the dust off?” I question, swiping a hand over a thick layer of it atop a box labeled ‘Living Room’. I immediately wipe my hand of it, coating my pant leg in it. “Feel like I’ll get asbestos in five minutes.” 

“Quit complaining and start unpacking, you two,” Dad ruffled my hair as he passed and gave Lily a pinch on her arm. “I want at least half this place unpacked by this evening!” 

“And what are you doing?”

“I think I can unpack and watch the game at the same time!” The mischievous look on his face says otherwise. 

Lily and I share a look. 

“Alright, then. Dad’s down for the count, so let’s get started without him, eh Squirt?”

Lily cringed. “Ugh, do you have to call me that?” 

“Yes, would you prefer something stupider like Lily Pad or meaner like little shit?” 

“You’re the worst, you know that?”

“Love you too, little shit.” 

Digging through the boxes meant for the living room was a rollercoaster of emotions for me. Old photo albums and rather sentimental items that used to be displayed in the halls and walls of the old house now had to become accustomed to new walls, a place with no memories. Leaving San Francisco was bad enough, but I guess it wasn't hitting until just now.

I swallow back the tears, another time would be better to sob uncontrollably. 

Besides, not even thirty minutes have passed and Lily lets out a groan from her corner of the room. “I’m bored.” 

“And I’m Alaia, nice to meet you.”

“When you do dad jokes, it’s awful,” Lily unceremoniously flops down on the couch, pouting in my direction, “Can’t we go out or something?”

I didn’t blink. “Out?” Not even a day and this kid already wanted to get out of the house? _Huh_ , me and her both. My eyes drift over to the boxes that Lily unpacked, which was quite a few. Turning back, Lily has turned up the pout by even more, sticking her bottom lip out and acting like a kicked puppy. Most people would give into Lily’s pout after a few minutes, except me but somehow, her pout was working on me today.

—-

After having to convince Lily to keep on unpacking, another thirty minutes pass before she’s in the passenger seat of my car. My baby-a Candy Apple Red 1966 Mustang-needed gas and Dad couldn’t deny that the fridge actually required groceries.

But this errand run was quickly devolving into a sightseeing adventure for Lily. She wanted to learn all she could about the area and somehow, I found myself wanting the same. 

“You the new neighbors?” A voice asked as I stood next to the pump. Turning to the source, I find a brown-skin girl that’s about the same age as me with a bright smile. Her car and my car are the only two at the pumps. 

“Uh...yes?” I answered, a bit apprehensive. I don’t know how many crazies lived in Encino and I certainly didn’t want to find out. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you or anything. My mom saw the moving trucks earlier and wanted to greet you guys but you weren’t there and I just noticed some of the boxes in your back seat and I had to ask-“

The girl had a tendency to ramble on it seemed. Endearing but right now, time is my most precious commodity and I couldn’t stand around wasting it. So with all the politeness I can muster, I cut her off. 

“It’s alright. No need to explain anything to me. I’m Alaia and this is my sister Lily,” I briefly shook hands with the stranger and Lily gave a small wave. 

“I’m Mikala, it’s nice to meet you both..so uh...hopefully we can meet up or something?” Mikala jumps back a few feet randomly, as if a thought came to her. “Oh, I forgot to give you this!”

Mikala hands over a little goodie bag with some candy, all of it still packaged in vibrant red, white and blue packaging from Independence Day. How patriotic. 

“Yeah, definitely. I could use someone with knowledge about this place to really help me not look completely clueless.” 

I step back towards the pump, bidding Mikala a brief goodbye before hopping back in the car. Lily was too busy flipping through her Tiger Beat magazine to notice anything else. It felt nice to have made at least one friend so far. 

—-

“Can we go to the beach?” I had reached my limit, pinching Lily in the arm and setting my eyes back on the road. She had a way of asking incessant questions when things were too quiet. I would have preferred for her to savor the peace and quiet but what’s a little sister if they don’t annoy you? 

“Ow!” she yelped. 

“You know Dad’ll kill us if we don’t get groceries and get back within the hour, right?” I informed her. 

She ignored me. 

“Since when have you been afraid of Dad? It’s not like he’s gonna punish us, we can lie and say we got lost!” 

“Lily-“

“Oh come on, Lala. It’s summer!”

“Fine. But after this, it’s groceries.” 

Mid-afternoon on the beach didn’t seem so bad. It wasn’t too crowded so finding a place to sit is pretty easy. Lily must’ve planned on asking me to go to the beach from the start as she lays out a towel and pulls off her shirt and shorts, heading for the ocean with no regrets. 

I’m content with just sitting in the sand, letting it settle itself between my toes. Of course, I stick to my word and after thirty minutes and the sun particularly lower than it was before, we head back to the car. 

But, call it fate or just awful luck, the car doesn’t start. No matter how many times the engine pretends it’s about to, the result is still the same, a rather dejected sounding sputter before the engine cuts out again. 

“Fuck me,” I look up to the heavens, hoping somehow the earth would open up and swallow the car whole. I hurried to the front hood of the car, hoping I could solve the problem. My car never had any trouble before, but I certainly started to blame this place for all my problems. 

“Lily!” 

She quickly appears next to me, meanwhile I’m still inspecting what could be wrong. 

“Yeah?”

“Head over to the pay phone over there, call Dad and have him send a tow truck over here, think you can do that?” 

“Sure.” A few moments after Lily speeds off in that direction, an unfamiliar voice makes itself known near me.

“New around here?” 

I lock eyes with a pair of piercing blue ones in return. His shock of blonde, almost white hair sticks out as well and so do those broad shoulders. He’s cute, handsome even. Not usually my type, but I could make an exception. His overall cuteness almost makes me not notice the red jacket he wears with a Cobra insignia on the chest. There’s something about it that I can’t place but he wears it well. 

“Do I just have an invisible sign above my head that says new in town?”

“When you’ve lived here a while, it’s easy to tell. Maybe I can help you with your car?”

“Have at it, man.” He doesn’t hesitate to examine the parts under the hood. 

“V7?” The boy questions, looking over at me with something I can’t place. Guys usually don’t expect girls to know much about cars, I could only assume that the boy was just waiting on me to be a ditz about it. 

“V8, actually. 6-speed automatic transmission and 435 horsepower.” 

“So you know some stuff, huh? Interesting.” 

“I know enough. My dad loves cars and football. Seems fair that I should have something in common with him,” I explain. “What’s your prognosis, doc?”

“I’m about 75% sure it won’t explode on us. It’s a good thing you called a tow truck because I have absolutely no idea what’s wrong with your car.” 

“75? Wow, your math skills are impeccable. You must be a real genius at school.” 

“You have beautiful eyes,” the boy said out of nowhere. I was taken aback a bit by how forward he was.

“Complimenting me won’t distract me from this clusterfuck of a day,” I try to hide the blush coming to my cheeks, while simultaneously resisting the smile tugging at my lips. 

He looked down, then up at me. Smiling. “How about I give you a ride?” 

“Oh no, I don’t want to impose. I can just wait for the tow truck and let you head back over to your friends, they obviously can’t wait for you to report back.” I nodded my head in their direction, they all wore the same jacket in different colors so it was safe to assume they’re friends. 

“Not at all, they can find another way home, I’m sure.” 

“Some friend you are.” I snorted. “I’m Alaia, by the way. I don’t think I ever introduced myself.” 

I smiled kindly at him. I hadn’t really talked to a guy my age in weeks. I felt like I had to translate words before I could speak them. 

“They’ll get over it,” he led the way towards his car. A shiny red 1984 Avanti. Must be brand new, judging by the interior alone. “And it’s fine. Johnny Lawrence.” 

“Thank you so much for this.” It turns out that Johnny and I are going the same way. His friends live in a completely different direction. So, this arrangement has worked out perfectly after all. 

Lily made her presence known and kept her greeting short as she climbed in the back seat. Leaving the only available seat next to Johnny. Something about that made me giddy. 

“It’s no problem. Where are you from?” 

“San Francisco.” I spoke over the roaring wind. “Not that exciting, really.” 

He nodded briefly. “Only been there once but you’ll love it here.”

“Oh yeah? What’s the Valley got that the Bay doesn’t?” I chuckled. And out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lily roll her eyes as she stared in any other direction but forward. 

“For one thing, the weather here beats anywhere else and I think you know the beaches.” 

“I guess. Bay isn’t exactly known for beaches, maybe bad local bands, hippies and the occasional bouncy castle in the park.” 

“Bouncy castle?” He chuckled a bit. 

“Yeah. You guys don’t have random bouncy castles in the park?” 

“Uh, pretty sure those are just for kids, so no.”

“Yeah, but I bet you it doesn’t say that big kids are forbidden.”

“Fair point.” 

I found that Johnny was really easy to talk to, while we didn’t go deep in conversation, it was enough to keep me interested and my cheeks thoroughly hurting from smiling so much. The weird thing is, I feel really comfortable with Johnny. Like I’ve known him for a long time. Like we’re already good friends. I never had that feeling with any guy I’d been around before, something was always just _off_. But, with Johnny, something feels right. 

I learned a few things about Johnny. 

One: We were the same age. Which meant we were both going to be seniors this school year. 

Two: Johnny is really, _really_ into karate. That pretty much everyone in the Valley is. And his teac- _sensei_ had one of the best dojos around. His words, not mine. 

Three: When he smiles, there’s a particular sparkle in his eyes that I can’t stop thinking about. 

Soon enough, I was directing him down the streets and pulling up to the gate surrounding our new home. I could’ve pouted myself because I didn’t want this to end. 

With the code punched into the keypad, Johnny pulls up closer to the front door. Plenty of lights illuminate the windows enough to tell that Dad is still bumbling about inside. Lily hops out without another word, hopefully she appreciates the ride but if she did, she doesn’t say so. 

Which leaves me to take my time getting out. I stare ahead at the front door, dreading the lecture I’m about to receive when I enter. A few steps closer and my hand is about to touch the handle but Johnny calls out. 

“Wait!” 

I glanced back at him, glancing at the windows of the house to make sure Lily or Dad weren’t suspicious to why I hadn’t come in yet. In three strides, I’m back near the car. 

“Yeah? Did I forget something—“ I said before Johnny interrupted me.

“No, I was just wondering...you know, when I can see you again?” Something was telling me that Johnny never was a nervous person, but right now, he was. 

“What?”

“You know.” He exhaled loudly. “It doesn’t have to be a date or anything, it can be two people just hanging out. Getting to know each other.” 

His lips became a straight line, and he started drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. I let the soft breeze fill my ears, and tried to figure out what to do with my hands. I need to say something, anything. 

I laugh, a bit surprised and a bit awkwardly if you ask me. “That sounds pretty close to a date. We just met an hour ago. What if you think I’m a dork or a loser after spending even longer with me?”

“Yeah, right. You’re the total opposite.”

“Again, we officially met an hour ago.”

“I can tell.”

“You can tell.”

“Absolutely. I’m a great judge of character.”

“Wow.”

“Bet you didn’t know that about me.”

“How could I? We just met--”

“--an hour ago. I haven’t forgotten.”

Johnny looks up at me and smiles. Something really intense is happening. It’s so different from anything I’ve felt before that I have no idea what it is. It feels like we’re having a staring contest of some sort but I’m already the first one to break. 

“Thanks for the ride.”

“You’re welcome. Nice house, by the way.”

“Thanks. So, about that _hanging out_ …”

“I knew you’d find me irresistible.” 

“Slow down, Blondie. I’ll think about it,” I smile, feeling even more confident than usual,” Now, give me your number and I’ll call you with details.” 

“When?”

“Soon enough. Patience is a virtue, Johnny.” 

——

A few days passed without me getting the nerve up to call Johnny. I came really close a few times but would end up giving up. I wasn’t sure what was holding me back. When I wasn’t in a tug of war with myself, most of my free time I had was spent between the phone with friends back in San Francisco and reading magazines, books, even the newspapers became pretty interesting at one point.

Being lazy in the summer trumped anything else really. The most strenuous activity I did was make orange juice from scratch with Lily. Okay, so she did most of the work. She cut them up and set out the necessary utensils. But I was in charge of straining and squeezing the juice out. Now, I’m lazing in one of the lounge chairs we just put out in the backyard, reading magazines I love and drinking fresh orange juice. I should be in heaven. 

One problem.

I miss Johnny.

Yeah, I know. It’s crazy to miss someone you just met. That night, sitting in his car made me feel like something that was missing had been found. 

The porch door slides closed, snapping me out of my day-dreams. Dad went to get some things from the supermarket. So, I know it’s Lily. Except, Lily knows better than to put her cold hands over my eyes.

“Guess who?”

I jump at least five feet off the chair, turning around to see Mikala and a few other girls who I don’t know. 

“Surprise!” 

After recovering from that the small fright Mikala gave me with a slight bit of nervous laughter, my lips pressed into a tiny smile as she introduced me to her group of friends, who all graciously dedicated some of their free time to helping me unpack leftover boxes—courtesy of Dad’s occasional procrastination—which gave us time to get over the awkward silence quickly. 

The conversation could have easily been hobbled by me just being me and they’d never want to come over again. But by the time we finished and I began making some snacks, the girls, Mikala, Meg, and Lexie had already discussed the latest gossip to fill me in. None of which I could add my opinion but it was interesting to know. 

Somehow the conversation led to boys because of course it does. The girls started off talking about their summer flings and the exotic locations they went with their families over these past few months. Kind of putting to shame my brief trip with Dad and Lily to Santa Catalina. Not that we couldn’t afford a destination trip.

But, the girls reined in their conversation back to the local gossip. And one boy’s name was pretty clear to me. 

“Heard Johnny and Ali broke up a few weeks ago,” Meg spoke up nonchalantly, as if she were going over a grocery list rather than clearly important news—judging by the gasps that Mikala and Lexie let escape from their mouth—around the Valley. 

“No way,” Mikala said, still in disbelief and mouth slightly open. 

“Yes, way. Heard one of the girls on the cheerleading squad talk about it. Crazy stuff.” 

“Yeah. Hey, Alaia, have you got any drama from back home that could stand up to the Valley?” Lexie probably noticed my silence and like a new good friend thought it was best to include me. My eyes drift over in her direction while I try to rack my brain for anything quite so juicy to tell them about the pranks, the drama and the sheer silliness of it all back to my now old high school but I come up short. 

And I tell them as much. “I think the Valley has got me beat. The craziest thing that happened at my school was someone getting crabs but nothing close to what you guys have told me.” I chuckle, flipping through the pages of one of the magazines. “So, uh, who’s this Johnny guy?” 

Trying to act uninterested is an obvious fail. I’ve never been able to not be anything other than interested. 

“Why? Are you interested?” Mikala rested her head on her hand, craning her neck just a bit to get a better look at me. The smirk on her face was undeniable, but there was a hint of concern in her eyes. 

“Maybe.”

“He’s a pretty boy but you should probably steer clear of him.” Too late for that, Mikala. 

“What if I told you I have his number? And that he drove me home a few nights ago? Hypothetically?”

“Well, _hypothetically_ , I’d tell you that he just got out of a relationship and full offense, he looks like he’s never had a thought a day in his life.” 

“Well, shit. What happened to don’t judge a book by its cover? Or are those days long gone?”

Mikala stares at me like I’m speaking a whole other language. Maybe to her, I am. I just feel this innate urge to defend Johnny, I barely know him but he can’t be _that_ bad, right? 

Almost as quick as the conversation had started, it ended. The silence between us is deafening, it’s as if all the Valley reserved this moment to cease all movements and sounds. As if anyone with a good radius could sense the tense air that had arisen. 

I look up to the sky, hoping for anything, _literally_ anything to break it. 

“Lala! Mind helping us put these groceries away?” Lily, you absolute lifesaver. I politely let the girls know that they should probably head out and while Mikala doesn’t say anything in the slightest about what just occurred as they slip out, somehow I know she still would have plenty to say next time we hang out. 

——

That very same evening, I was counting down just how many days until senior year began. I was still wide awake when he came to my window.

To pass the time between waking and dreaming, I had taken to reading even more—The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye and maybe one cheesy romance novel to name a few—but no such luck. My mind kept wandering back to earlier and the boy who also happened to be trouble. 

His tapping was soft at first, like the branches of a tree scraping against the glass, but when I didn’t respond right away, he started pounding with something harder. 

I jumped from my bed and yanked the window open. Much like the scenes from one of the romance novels I spent too much time invested in, Johnny stood in the front yard, a few spare pebbles between his fingertips. Probably preparing to throw more if necessary. Upon seeing me, his eyes immediately lit up despite the darkness of the night. 

His voice rang out quietly. “Come on!” 

I let go of the frame, glancing back inside, hoping that the squeaky window hadn’t alerted Dad or Lily yet. I caught the window just as it began squeaking again. 

“Alaia.” Johnny was standing on his tiptoes in the soft grass. The leaves of the trees in the yard glowed and dimmed in turn as clouds passed in front of the nearly full July moon.

“Time. To. Have. An. Adventure?” Johnny spoke like a drunk person pretending to be sober, enunciating his words as though it was the first time he had said any of them. For all I know, he may very well be drunk. 

I leaned out the window a bit further, careful to not go falling out. “Adventure? Where?”

He didn’t say anything but instead curled his fingers at me in a “come here” gesture as he backed up towards the gate. How he got over it is a question in itself but there was obviously no time to ask. I run over the options in my head, the pros and cons and pretty much everything Mikala said earlier. 

“Jesus Christ.” I sighed and bowed my head, pushing my fingers against my temples before sliding on a pair of pants from my dresser and my sneakers. Before scaling down from the window, I make sure to stick a _Seventeen_ magazine from my bookcase against the lock. A trick I learned in freshman year that still worked like a charm. 

With a quick glance to the left and the right, I dashed across the front lawn to the gate. It took my eyes adjusting to the bright moonlight for me to spot Johnny leaning against the trunk of the tree above me, tossing a helmet between his hands and tapping his foot against the branch beneath his foot as if I had kept him waiting for hours. 

“Come on,” he said. Climbing down to the other side before I even could start climbing myself. 

“Johnny.” I caught up to him in no time flat. “Where are we going?”

“Don’t like surprises?”

“I love them, _at a decent hour_.” He couldn’t see me run my fingers through my hair as he climbed on a bike, but he had to hear my annoyance. 

“Relax..” He took a deep breath, pulling me towards him and settling me behind him on the bike. He wraps my arms tightly around his waist “Just trust me,” and that was all it took for me. 

“Okay.”

“Okay?” 

“Okay.” 

So I turned off the smart, sensible part of me—the part of me that wanted to go back up to my room, crawl into bed, and forget about this boy who was so much trouble in so many, many ways. In a flash, Johnny peels away from the curb into the night.


	2. contra mundum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry I took so long to update kind of just wanted to skip straight into the start of the action

The view was beautiful, and I didn’t just mean Johnny. Being above the city, above all the noise and whatever else this place had to throw at me, really showed that there was beauty to it. And the stars twinkled and shined brighter, more visible when skyscrapers and ridiculous billboards didn’t block the way. 

We sat beside his bike, no regard for whether or not the dirt would cling to our clothes when we stood up. It’s silent for the moment and I’d hate to break it. I slide away slightly from Johnny so I can look at him, he’s looking up at the stars. 

I stare at his profile in the dark, memorizing it illuminated by only the stars. The slope of his nose. The shape of his lips. 

He turns towards me. 

“You didn’t call.” Well, so much for silence. 

“I was going to.”

“When? 1985?”

I can’t help but to laugh a little. “Eventually. I was building up the nerve, I guess. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Isn’t your dojo’s motto, strike first, strike hard, no mercy?” The first two lines I could get behind in some regard but I wasn’t going to tell Johnny what I thought of the last line. Mercy is something everyone deserved in some regard. Situation to situation basis. 

“Yes?” He questioned, not quite sure what I was getting at. 

“So, you struck first.”

“I guess I did, so why the hesitation on your end?” 

“A little birdie told some things. About you and someone else. Made me second guess,” I explain. Wasn’t exactly a lie. 

“Word gets around fast, doesn’t it?” 

“So, it’s true then?”

“Yes, but it’s over. Been over for weeks now.” The fact that he knew exactly what I had been referring to without saying her name said more than enough. But, he still confirmed what everyone knew to be true. 

“That’s tough.” I said the first thing that came to mind but it felt stupid to say that. Here’s a guy interested in me and my first instinct is to talk about his ex? But I noticed an almost look of relief, a catharsis on Johnny’s face. That maybe talking about it or even revealing the truth to a somewhat stranger that their relationship was done gave him some form of venting. 

“Enough about that. Let’s talk about you. What’s on your mind?”

“I’m thinking of twenty different things at once.” My nerves clang around, aware that we’re alone and just how close we are. “Good things though, don’t worry.”

Johnny smiles, His eyes light up, like I’ve just shared a secret with him.

“Uhh…” I start. “So one of those things is that I really like you.”

“Okay…”

“Like a lot, already.”

“Me too. And I never say this for anyone this quickly. Not even...” _Ali_. Her name hangs silently between us for a moment. 

“Wow.” His smile slowly fades. His eyes seem to darken. It’s really hard to breathe when he’s looking at me this way. 

“Yeah.” Johnny has somehow scooted even closer to me, so close. It’s obvious that he wants to kiss me. All I want to do is kiss him back but I pull back. 

“Don’t.” 

“What’s wrong?” Johnny looks confused. Honestly, I’m in the same predicament. 

“I just think maybe we should...take it slow?” I suggested, but even my own words betrayed me. I really want to kiss Johnny, never wanted to do anything more in my whole life, really. But of course, I didn’t and here we are. Desperately I scramble to come up with an explanation to draw away from the fact I ruined a perfectly good moment. 

I stick out my arms in his direction and go, “Only if you want to though! If not, that’s fine too!”

Johnny’s squinting. But not from a harsh glare or anything. He’s squinting right at me. 

_Because you’re stupid._

Wait. How can that be a stupid suggestion? It’s not like there’s any rush, we still have a good amount of the summer left. I need to take the overthinking down a notch.

“Fair enough.” He smirks. “I like a challenge.”

\----

Mid-July supplies California with a heat wave. It’s going to be a hundred degrees today. For a little _pizzazz_ , it’s also going to be crazy humid. 

I really don’t want to go out. 

After I stupidly asked for us to slow things down, Johnny thought it best for us to go out on a date. But, with this heat, a formal date was completely out of the question. No way in hell am I getting all done up just to sweat it out. The next best thing just so happened to be the annual summer festival in town which Dad couldn’t seem to stop raving about, his coworkers obviously filled his head with all this Encino positive nonsense.

I still failed to see the appeal just yet. 

Lily was unusually quiet during breakfast but once a smile broke out on her face when Dad asked her what her plans were, I knew I was in trouble. 

“Alaia’s taking me to the festival with her _boyfriend,”_ Lily wiggles her eyebrows suggestively. I narrow my eyes, gritting my teeth to keep from saying something that I would regret. 

“What?” Dad said. He looked square at me. 

I mouthed a quiet, _“I hate you.”_ To which Lily continued with her chatty excitement and now devious smile. “So, uh, Lily, when do you go to sleep away camp again? Is it soon, I hope?” 

“Oh, no, young lady. You’re not getting out of this by deflecting to your sister. What’s this about a boyfriend?” I felt like I could’ve melted through the floor at this point. It’s not like Dad ever really gave me _The Talk_. As far as he was concerned, he’d left all the boy-related discussions, up to his closest lady friend, Lani. And, to be completely honest, I learned more from my friends back home than her.

Pretty awkward but I couldn’t say I exactly had the mother experience. 

“He’s not my boyfriend.” 

“So there is someone?” 

“Yeah, sure, whatever. He's the one who helped us out when my car broke down. But he’s _not_ my boyfriend.” 

“The way you two made eyes at each other on the way home said otherwise. Kind of disgusting, really.” Lily gags. 

I responded with a quick, “Would you shut up?” Flinging a small clementine from the basket at her. It misses her by just an inch.

“Lala, that’s no way to speak to your sister,” Dad reprimanded. “And don’t throw food around! Kids in underdeveloped countries would’ve killed for that clementine!”

Lily laughed, obviously getting a kick out of this. 

“Oh, so Lily gets to air out my business? Bullshit.” 

“Language! Apologize to your sister.”

“For what?" 

“Do you really need to ask?”

I give a half-hearted apology to Lily before standing up to get ready for the day. Guess it’s time to see my _boyfriend_.

—-

“Well, good _afternoon_ to you,” I greet Johnny, stressing the afternoon part. I strongly fight the urge to stare at his bare chest. 

He snickers before stepping aside to let me in. “Nice to see you, too,” he replies, closing the door behind me. 

Johnny’s house from the outside is immaculate, the inside tells a different story. Looking around, it’s eerily, almost scarily quiet and hollow despite the walls being covered with photos and different items. 

Johnny doesn’t seem the least bit phased by the quiet as he saunters into the kitchen. I follow behind quietly, helping myself to some lemonade in the fridge and leaning against the opposite kitchen counter to him. 

I eye him with a raised eyebrow. “Do you even own a shirt around here?”

Johnny smirks in amusement. “I live here, besides it’s summer.” He answers. “Don’t like what you see, babe?”

I narrow my eyes, failing to hide my blush behind the glass of lemonade. “That doesn’t answer the question.”

“You've already answered it, though.”

“I didn’t say _fuck_ all.”

“And that’s answer enough.” 

“You’re impossible,” I informed him, rolling my eyes dramatically. “And full of yourself.” 

“At least I’ve got someone to fill.” 

I nearly spat out the lemonade I’d just sipped. Johnny laughed at my reaction. What a little shit. “Whatever gutter your mind’s in, gotta get it out of there,” I insist, unable to hold back the snickers. “Goddamn.” 

After I finally stop giggling, I shift the conversation to why I’m even over here. “Moving on, I heard there’s a festival in town, wanna go?”

“Anything to get out of this house,” he rolls his eyes but not at me in particular. He heads out the kitchen, letting me know he's going to get dressed properly.

I nod. But something tells me there’s more to his agreement to go out. Johnny never seemed to let me in on too much personal stuff, only really talking about things not pertaining to home life. Mostly he keeps everything on a lighter level. 

Still, we’ve only just begun to really know one another so any feelings I have about prying, I keep to myself. I find that trying to open someone up on things they don’t want to discuss just yet only makes them want to run from it even more.

Unfortunately, I could relate to that. 

After a few minutes, Johnny comes back into the kitchen. “I think you took my lines.”

“What?” 

“Aren’t I the one who’s supposed to have asked you to go to the festival? I-”

“Oh shut up, It’s the 80’s,” I cut him off, pulling him by the hand towards the front door. “Don’t worry, I won’t strip you of your manhood any time soon.” 

I turn back briefly and wink. “Not unless you _want_ me to.” 

“Oh, I want you to,” he smiled, his intentions more than clear. 

“Pervert,” I tease. 

“You started it, babe.” 

——-

People are packed at the festival. No shortage of families, couples, kids and teenagers around the place. A kaleidoscope of colors seems to just pop out at us as we walk through the crowd, I don't think twice about putting my hand in Johnny’s. You know, so we don’t lose each other in the crowd, perfectly good reason. 

We both roam around, looking at all the booths. Coming across a duck shooting game, Johnny stops short, making me bump into him.

“Let me win you something,” he suggests. 

“Have you ever even _held_ a gun, a BB gun specifically?” I ask with an amused expression, Johnny rolls his eyes before stepping up to the booth. 

“Uh, yeah. I’m not a pussy,” he picks up the rifle, digging the stock in against his shoulder and concentrating on the targets that are about to come out. I throw my hands up in mock surrender as I proceed to watch him play. I don't know how he does it, but he manages to shoot a good half of all the ducks, I can barely do that when I'm playing a shooting game in the arcade.

“Want to give it a try?”

“Absolutely not, I know I suck.” 

“And here I thought you were a _pro_.” The man at the booth hands Johnny a prize and he takes it with pride. Then he hands it over to me. “For you.” 

“Thanks. I would’ve won you something. Maybe.”

“Like you could.” 

I slap Johnny’s arm and he smiles at me as we move towards the outer edge of the festival. A ton of people are spread out on blankets preparing for the fireworks Dad also seemed to rave about, which was the best part of the whole thing. 

Once we find a comfortable spot to sit and a good spot to see the fireworks, the sun is starting to set. A sunset of pink and red. The trees surrounding the area look like they could be on fire. Most people don’t even notice things like that, the way colors and lights reflected so I don’t expect Johnny to either. 

But still, it’s nice to be here admiring it with him nearby. 

We lay back on the grass, watching the sky. It’s quiet between us. Somehow, it’s not an awkward silence but a comfortable one. Either Johnny was too nervous to speak or he didn’t feel the need to fill the air between us with nonsense. I could appreciate it if it was the latter. 

When the fireworks start, everybody cheers. Against the dark of the night, the colors pop. The blues, the greens, the reds all in different shapes like stars, flowers and smiley faces. My favorites are the hearts.

Johnny calls me, shifting a little and bringing my attention solely on him.

“Alaia.”

“Hi.” 

“Hi. I’m having a really good time.” 

“I think I can say the same.” 

Johnny moves his arm, essentially bringing my head to rest upon his shoulder as we both lay here.

“No, no, I mean just being here with you.” 

“So what is it about me that you like being with? My devastatingly good looks or my winning personality?”

“I like it all. But your personality could use some work.” 

I scoff dramatically. “Well, don’t hold back, Mr. Lawrence.” 

“That time I was joking!” He chuckles at my reaction.

Then slowly Johnny moves his fingers over my hand. Bending his fingers around mine. Now, we’re holding hands and I swear something about it makes me want to go haywire. 

I think it’s safe to say I want something to happen. Our faces are really close. He reaches out to touch my cheek, brushing some hair away from my face. I can’t speak, I can’t move, I really don’t know what’s happening to me. But I don’t even try to fight it, I can’t help it.

And then he kisses me. 

No time for me to think about it. 

No way to take it back. 

So much for a challenge.

Our lips stay pressed together, neither one of us wants to move away. The first kiss only gives way to the second, the third and too many to count. I don’t know how much time passes. I certainly don’t want to worry about it. 

But then I remember that I told Dad I’d be home before it got too late. 

I pull away, “What time is it?” 

Johnny pulls out a watch from his pocket. “Shit.” 

“What?” 

“That can’t be right. What time did you need to be home by?”

My stomach practically drops to the floor. “Eleven-thirty. Why?” 

“It’s one fifteen.”

“Oh, fuck me.” 

He shows me his watch. Fucking hell. I’m as good as dead. I don’t want to leave. I could stay here forever, just like this. But if I don’t get home soon, Dad’ll kill me. 

“We have to go,” I tell him. “I’ll drop you by your house. Can I see you again soon?”

“Of course.”

Johnny looks exactly how I feel. Crushed that we have to leave. At least this isn’t the last time, I’m already excited for the next time I get to see him. 

——-

**August 1984**

The last few weeks of summer went by in a blur almost, a blonde, blue-eyed blur if we’re being specific. After the festival, we were practically attached at the hip. 

The way things were going, I didn’t want to assume we were dating just yet. We’re just...having fun? Yeah, that could be a fair assessment. Except everyone seemed to act like they were in on something I wasn’t. First, it started with Lily and Dad. I didn’t want to think about them prying into my love life. I needed to spend time with Mikala. 

It was the first time in the past few weeks that she had seen me. And I was excited to see her, I really didn’t want her to think I was more interested in hanging out with Johnny. 

But now, she was acting just like Lily and Dad. They’re convinced I’m in denial. I tried to explain that they’re both in delusion and there was nothing to deny. 

“So, will we be seeing you at the adios summer beach party or are you going to be sucking face with your _lover_?”

“Oh my God, he’s not my lover. Give it a rest.” 

“You’re right. Boyfriend or husband would roll off the tongue easier. Why do you keep denying it?”

“Can we _please_ talk about something else?” I calmly ask, but I’m sure some of my irritation starts to slip through. 

“What? No! Are you crazy? I’m living vicariously through you till school starts. Besides, where am I gonna hear about all this action so close again?”

“I thought you hated his guts?”

“Hate and dislike are two very different things. Personally, I never said either of those things so are you coming or not?”

I roll my eyes. 

“Well, the offer still stands so if you’re up to it just come by in an hour or two and I’ll give you a ride.” 

“Sure thing.”

—-

I honestly thought I would dread going out to the beach for a party but the more time I spent around my girls my age who weren’t competing for who could be the more starving artist in a friend group was...refreshing. And this would be the first taste of the social scene here in the Valley for me, at least. 

Though, I wish Mikala would’ve warned me in advance that I’d come face to face with Ali. Yes, _that_ Ali. Luckily for me, she had no fucking idea about me spending time with Johnny. Not that she cared (I hope). But still, my stomach dropped.

She’s friendly enough, gorgeous and blonde. I could see why anyone with eyes would be attracted to that. Especially Johnny. 

How do I compete with that?

I reeled back. Why was I even thinking of Ali as competition? 

"Alaia? You okay?" Mikala shook my arm gently, I must’ve zoned out too hard. We all were spread out on separate beach towels, soaking up the sun and listening to different songs on Ali’s radio. 

"I'm fine," I answer, swallowing hard. Have to shake those thoughts off.

I sat myself up fully, eyeing the boys as they played soccer along the beach. Mikala kept my introductions to Freddy and Alan brief alongside four other guys whose names escaped me but one of them was also a newbie to the Valley just like me. I think his name is Daniel. 

Suddenly, the boys kicked the ball right into our circle, spraying us with sand. Ali’s friend, Susan looked mortified, but Ali laughed as I handed her the ball.

She tosses the ball towards Daniel, who bounces it expertly on his knees. He must know what he’s doing because it seems pretty effortless. Ali seems positively mesmerized by the action. The rest of us stood up and raced to the surf just as the boys booted the ball back down to the other side of the beach. But somehow I couldn’t keep my eyes off what was happening between them. The boy lingered behind, eyes only on Ali. 

He jogged off, catching up to Freddy and the others. But not without glancing back at Ali– Freddy grinned and nudged Daniel, who shook his head and tried to hide a smile. Ali soon caught up with us where the shore met the sand. But not without a small smile to herself. 

"He's cute," Ali said to no one in particular. 

So, she liked him. I couldn’t help feeling relieved; if Ali moved on from Johnny and dated someone else, maybe that would make it easier for him to do the same. I wasn’t particularly proud of myself for wanting that, but it gave me hope. 

“Yeah,” I agreed. “He really is.” 

——

Dusk settled over the beach, sending us all back into our warmest clothes we brought and huddled near the fire we made. The boys made a similar fire just a little farther down the shore but still close enough to be near us. Mikala and I made quiet conversation, but I still couldn’t help but keep my eyes on Ali from time to time. 

Ali was coyly stealing glances at Daniel, failing to be inconspicuous about it, even from where I was sitting, I could tell she was blushing. And as if someone (Freddy) heard what she was hoping for, he kicked the ball they played with earlier onto Ali’s blanket. Which sent Daniel over here to retrieve it. Ali met him halfway with the ball and though I couldn’t hear what they were talking about, he soon began to show her how to bounce the ball on his knees, must be his signature. I had to give this guy props, any other guy would’ve been going nuts, especially having a pretty girl practically falling into his lap. 

I laughed at the sight. 

Suddenly, in the distance, I heard the sound of engines revving. All of us, especially Ali, seemed to have heard them too. She kicks the ball as far as possible, sending the guy to chase after it. I kept my eyes fixated on her and the hill as she walked back over to join us by her blanket.

I could see the jackets from a mile away. Five of them coming down the incline on their bikes, coming to a halt near the campfires. _Cobra Kai_. 

I felt like hiding myself. Making myself seem small so I couldn’t be seen by them. It was probably for the best that I only observe. 

Johnny was the first to get off his bike. Taking off his gloves and helmet, he practically beelined to Ali. 

“Hey, Ali, I want to talk to you.”

“Just leave me alone,” she muttered, clearly irritated. “We've been over all this, alright? I don't want to talk. 

Johnny’s tone only seemed to match hers, only a bit harsher as he turned off her radio. “Well, I want to talk to you, all right?

My eyes were so glued to what was happening between the two that I didn’t notice Johnny’s friends had joined us by the fire.

“This is better than watching TV, right?” one of them joked with me. His hair wasn’t exactly as blonde as Johnny’s, it was much darker. I think his name is Bobby? “I wish he’d give up.”

“So, this isn’t the first time? Johnny told me they were over,” I spoke, trying to keep my voice quiet so I could hear the situation unfolding in front of us all. I wanted to mask the jealousy but it was hard. 

“And you believe that? Ali broke it off and well, Johnny isn’t exactly _boyfriend_ material.” Had he told his friends about me? Because that oddly felt like a warning to me. Bobby barely knew me and I already felt like he could see right through me. 

But, again, the urge to defend him even against his own friend was strong. So, I did. “Maybe you don’t really know him then. And maybe Ali just isn’t girlfriend material for him.”

“Yeah, she’s not.”

We all focused back on the train wreck in front of us when Johnny threw down Ali’s radio to the ground hard, cutting the music short. 

Things are escalating and out of an abundance of caution (and a good amount of worry for Ali), I feel it best to step in but both Mikala and Bobby hold me back gently. Their faces say it all. _Don’t get involved._

Standing back and having to watch was just as agonizing but seeing Daniel step in made me want to step in even more. What was agonizing to watch became mildly embarrassing to witness as Johnny tripped Daniel not once, but twice but still he persisted. Egged on by his friends to continuously whack at a hornet’s nest.

I could barely stand to watch as Johnny so effortlessly sent Daniel to the ground, the latter trying and failing to catch his breath. If Daniel knew what was good for him, he’d give up, stay down, and hope that he wouldn’t get his ass kicked by a trained martial artist. 

But things are never _that_ simple. 

"Johnny, stop it!" Ali pleaded, obviously just as horrified as I was.

"I didn't do anything!" the blond protested, a sick smile spreading across his face. He turned to Daniel, who was being helped up by Freddy. "Throw it on!" he taunted. "Come on, throw it on!"

Daniel was too slow; in the blink of an eye, Johnny had sent a brutal roundhouse kick right into his stomach, making him double over in pain.

Once again Freddy tried to help him back up but he stayed as he was but in a split second, Daniel had sprung up from the ground, punching Johnny in the nose.

"Okay, man, now we're even," he said. He looked ridiculous in his stance, holding his right hand out for Johnny to hopefully shake, his left arm raised in defense if he didn't.

Johnny's eyes darkened. He held a scathing look on his face, an expression I’d never witnessed before from him. It was enough to send chills down my spine, despite it not being aimed at me.

"No mercy, man," he sneered.

A front kick – a crescent kick – a hook to his face. Johnny tossed the brunette down onto the sand like a rag doll. Daniel was done for from the start. 

I should have moved – I should have interfered – I should have done something. But the ugly truth was staring me right in my face; I was afraid. But, I was also pissed off. 

The cheers from Johnny’s friends set me off even more, I pulled free from Bobby and Mikala, doing the only thing I could think to do. 

I slap him in the face. _Hard._

This silences everyone for a brief moment. 

“What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?” I snapped. “You think it’s cool to do shit like that?” 

Johnny seemed surprised to see me, wiping at the blood from his nose. His eyes held a certain degree of hurt as he looked back at me briefly. “I don’t want to see you again, alright? Just stay away from me, Johnny,” I warn before he gets a chance to speak, backing away towards Mikala. 

Ali comes up and goes in on him too, rightfully pissed off as well. But he seemed to brush her off easier than me, I turn away at the display and feel my eyes start to sting. I was afraid that if I stared at either of them too long, I might start to cry. 

He started this all because of her. Was I really blinding myself to the fact that he wouldn’t get set off by seeing his ex with another boy? I had no indication that he would react like _that_. I really didn't know what to think about this side of Johnny I had never once seen. Sure, he talked about karate and things of that nature but to see it being used like that made me sick to my stomach.

I had so much to think about now. 

Johnny’s gaze lingered on me for a few seconds too long, his expression unreadable as he got back on his bike. 

I left with Mikala shortly after, not uttering a word to anyone else. 

  
  



	3. ex-degenerate and jersey boy

**August 1984**

I could've easily spent the last couple of days avoiding Johnny but unfortunately, school had to start sometime. Admitting that maybe, just maybe, Mikala had a point was incredibly difficult for me to say out loud. Johnny had been nothing but sweet to me (minus the occasional jerk comments he'd make) so that night on the beach was so jarring.

Not to mention this all started over his ex, the same ex he said that he was over. But was he, really? I hoped that Daniel was alright as well.

My mind swirled with all these questions as I drove to school.

Becoming the new girl at West Valley High wasn't too high on my list of priorities but for everyone else, it seemed it was. Everyone could tell new faces from the old, considering how often they'd all been attending school together. Not that anyone expects a new face in their senior class.

I dragged from my car to the courtyard, bustling with students. My brain was already burned out just looking at my new schedule but quickly reorients itself as I get closer to my locker. I scan my eyes around, making sure no one can see my combination and find my eyes naturally lead to...who else...Johnny.

He's standing by his bike, surrounded by his group of friends and happily chatting. A mix of emotions come up all at once. Anger, fear, but the one I can't stand to feel right now. Longing.

Damn him for his good looks. Being fully angry at him would be much easier if he wasn't so...him. I shake it off and turn back towards my locker. Putting away my books and getting the ones I need for my first class.

As I walk at a fast pace towards the door, my eyes stay glued to Johnny. After a minute or so, one of his friends points at me, causing him to look in my direction. Once he does, I look away, embarrassed I'd been caught.

\----

For the few minutes of class, the teacher spent a good chunk of that time droning on about the syllabus and what she expected and required of us. Just about the only saving grace was that Mikala shared this class with me. We shared the occasional glances with one another, rolling our eyes and gesturing as if we were choking ourselves.

When the teacher split us up into groups as a way to learn each other's names (a stupid activity, really), is when I noticed Daniel. There was no hiding that nasty bruise under his eye, even with those obnoxiously huge lenses. And as fate would have it, me, Mikala and Daniel were paired up.

Mikala must already sense the secondhand embarrassment and doesn't say a word, finding her English textbook more appealing. So, that leaves the conversation to me and him.

"Sorry-"

"I-"

We laugh uneasily in unison.

"You first," the guy offers.

"Sorry about your eye."

"Let me guess, King Karate a friend of yours?" 

"Ehhh, I guess you could say that," I shrug with a slight frown. Thinking about Johnny stirs up emotions that I'm still sorting through. "Anyways, my name's Alaia Palmer. I would've introduced myself earlier at the party had I known that was going to happen."

"Daniel LaRusso."

"LaRusso? You from New York?" I took a guess and judging by his accent, olive skin and mocha-brown hair, it was a safe assumption. He definitely stands out amongst the beach blonde and blue-eyed image that the Valley projects. He's really, really cute and I scold myself for even thinking the thought.

"New Jersey."

"Wow!" I exclaim, not used to meeting too many people from out of state. Out of the country, yes. "What brought you to California?"

"My ma got a job with a company out here," Daniel explains, briefly adjusting the sunglasses. "...Rocket computers-flight to the future. Something like that."

"Never heard of it."

"It's up and coming." He nudged my elbow. "So, you're from San Francisco?"

"Yeah, but I bet moving across the country trumps moving across a state. Is it everything you were expecting?"

"I'll get back to you on that. Why'd you move?"

"Dad got promoted." I explain, simple as that. No point dumping a whole life story on another complete stranger.

It was easy to talk with Daniel when we weren't talking about the beach fight. I found myself enjoying his company; he wasn't all that different from some of my old friends in San Francisco, which was comforting. As Daniel spoke more and more, I found myself smiling.

Maybe Encino was starting to be slightly less terrible than I thought.

_____

Just after lunch—where I spent a good majority of it avoiding Johnny's gaze across the cafeteria—is when he finally decided to just "casually" run into me at my locker. Plenty of nosy people couldn't keep their eyes off seeing Johnny talking to the obvious new girl, the whispers definitely weren't quiet either.

But, regardless, I kept scrounging around my locker where I hoped to find a textbook I wasn't actually looking for.

"Can I talk to you?"

"I don't know, can you?" I ask, voice completely monotone.

"Don't be like that."

"You know what? Let's talk."

"Not here," Johnny takes me by the hand gently, and as much as it sends the butterflies in my stomach a flutter, I hold back on reacting. After the fight at the beach, I certainly was surprised that he was capable of being gentle.

Once we're inside an empty classroom together, do my nerves clang around even more.

"I'm sorry-" he started, but I immediately cut him off.

"I don't think I'm the one you should be apologizing to. Do you even know what you're apologizing for? Or are you just saying what you think I want to hear?"

"I-well...I guess?"

"Don't apologize unless you really need to, Johnny."

Johnny sighs, running a hand over his face. "I do, I do."

"Yes, but not to me. To Daniel."

"That's his name? Whatever it is, I don't care. What's the big deal?"

"You really need to ask? Considering the black eye he's sporting that you gave him, I'd say it's way more than a big deal," I jab my finger into his chest, emphasizing my point. "I don't get you, you said you and Ali were done but then beat up a complete stranger for talking to her?"

"I'm going through a lot right now, okay?" Johnny says, he doesn't elaborate so I leave it at that. "But, I want to make things right with you first."

"You can start by apologizing to Daniel."

"Fine."

"And Saturday night at 8 sounds perfect. But not before that apology."

"You drive a hard bargain but I'll see you on Saturday."

"I'll hold my breath."

——-

Dad must've gotten off early because by the time I get home, he's in the kitchen and he's whipping up something at the stove. Judging by the smell, it's grilled cheese. Crazy to think that had I not learned to cook we would've been stuck with Dad's ideas of a meal.

Not that his run in the kitchen wasn't a good one but our palette needs variety.

"How was school? You hungry?"

"I'll pass and school is school. Where's Lily?"

"Extracurriculars on the first day," he beams stupidly and proudly before turning back to the stove.

"Did you run into that Johnny or Daniel boy again?" He questions, knowing the full details of what happened at the beach only a few days prior. There wasn't exactly hiding anything like that from him.

"Since when did you become so interested in my life?"

"I've always been, I just want to make sure you're adjusting well to this move and all..." he gestures to nothing in particular in the air "...this."

"I'm adjusting fine, I guess, feels like I've had more excitement here than I ever had back home so far and that's saying something."

"So one of those young men is to blame, I assume?"

"Dad, what's really on your mind? I mean, honestly, you weren't this interested in what I was doing before we moved and now all of a sudden your world revolves around me?"

"Okay. Grandma called again."

"Tell her I'm in boarding school out of state. A place that doesn't allow calls," I sneer, sitting on the countertop.

"Alaia, you can't keep avoiding her calls. She's still family." Something about that statement set me off.

"Not to me. Not since Mo-"

"Don't even finish that sentence," Dad says, it comes out calm but I know it's a thinly veiled threat. Anything surrounding Mom has been a constant battle, we butt heads at every mention of her and maybe it'd always be that way. Without so much as another word, I storm off to my room to have a temper tantrum in silence.

After fifteen minutes or so, a knock comes to the door. "Lala? You in there?"

"Come in," I reply, to which Dad pops his head in through the crack of the door. He tiptoes in, as if the floor is covered in eggshells.

"I'm sorry," He says, a sympathetic look in his eyes.

"For?"

"Everything."

A mix of a laugh and a scoff escapes my mouth."That's a bit general but I'll take it."

"You know, she really just wants to have a connection with you. Despite everything," he cautiously sits at the edge of my bed.

"I know, it's just—it's a lot, okay? Just a few months ago, she could've been the Loch Ness monster for all I know. She didn't exist to me and now out of the blue, she's extending an olive branch?" 

"Well, when you put it like that..." He pursued his lips and raised his brows, probably finally thinking about the situation. "Anyways, she wanted you to visit an old friend of hers, he's here in town."

"Let me guess, chores?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. Considering you're not going out for the cheerleading team or any other team this semester," he pinches my leg, trying to make me jump. "It'd only be a couple times a week after school, nothing too crazy."

"If anything, I can always call Child Protective Services. What's this guy's name anyways?" I ask. The more I know, the better.

"Mr. Miyagi. Show him some respect, alright? You could probably learn a few things from him."

And learn, I did. 


End file.
